Origin of Pisco
Pisco is linked to Peruvian identity and language in pre-Columbian times. Piskos were the potters who were in charge of making clay objects to store drinks, even these containers were also known as piskos. However, the one we know today in Dry Martini came from the creation of Lima and the wine culture that was experienced in even pre-Columbian times.
Celebrations with grape brandy were introduced into South American culture starting in 1613. And in 1640 its consumption was common; in fact, it began to be the result of marketing and external relations with the United States. For this reason and for the exchange of goods, the Villa de Pisco was founded in 1640, in the department of Ica. And from there, the spirit begins to acquire the forms, nuances and combinations that are so familiar to us today. It is at this moment when the drink begins its evolution until it becomes a National Heritage in Peru.
Types of pisco
Today we know three types of pisco, the pure, the acholados and the green must. The first of them is made from a single type of grape. More variants are involved in acholados, however, the most common thing is to make two or more pure piscos separately and then mix the result and obtain the combination. Finally, green must is one in which distillation takes place before all the sugar has been converted into alcohol.
Pisco: a Peruvian cultural identity
For combinations and preparations, a mix between science and art is needed. Good pisco requires good grapes but it is important to put in the work and have a certain art when making cocktails.
A drink of the classic Ponche de los Liberadores is a ritual during Independence Day, July 28. This cocktail is originally from India, however, it arrived in Peru at the beginning of the 19th century and is used to celebrate the change of command on July 28, every five years. The drink uses the boiling method in its recipe. The glassware used for this drink, specifically, is a glass called a “Hot Drink Cup.”
Another of the most refreshing and representative drinks from Peru is the Pisco Sour. For this reason it is a very popular drink in any type of celebration and in various events, such as the anniversary of Lima, on January 18. It is said that this cocktail was created by Victor V. Morris, an Anglo-Saxon, owner of the Morris Bar, around 1921. From that moment on, it was exported to different bars in the Peruvian capital, until it became one of the most popular cocktails in the country. part of the upper class. Today we can say that it is a popular and traditional drink. As Peruvians have a very sweet tooth, Algarrobina is also very common, a cocktail in which pisco is mixed with the substance of the same name, extracted from carob beans, and to which cocoa cream, milk, egg yolk and cinnamon are added. .
Despite the dispute between Chileans and Peruvians to incorporate this drink into their cultural identity, pisco is originally from Peru. Chile imitated the production, but was more skillful when it came to marketing the product. The best? Drink it the traditional way, in clay jugs and enjoy the first sip, so that others taste even better.